MATCH DETAILS
Hull FC put in a clinical display to beat Castleford Tigers 36-12.
Sika Manu and Bureta Faraimo both scored braces amongst six tries for the Black and Whites, who were dominant for much of the game against last season’s League Leaders.
Hull got the first points with 13 minutes played, as Manu ran a great line to take Jake Connor’s short pass and crash over.
Castleford came back with a try of their own, as Michael Shenton claimed a Jamie Ellis kick and managed to get the offload back inside to Paul McShane in the clear to score.
However, three tries in 12 minutes gave Hull a handsome lead at the break. The first came from Jamie Shaul, who danced through the defence and round the full-back to score a great try, despite protests of an obstruction.
Marc Sneyd kicks to the right corner then twice caused chaos for the Cas defence. Debutant Calum Turner dropped one to allow Manu to score his second try, before another wasn’t claimed and Josh Griffin found Faraimo to squeeze in.
Hull suffered a huge blow early in the second half as Sneyd had to be taken off the field. Connor took the kicking duties in his place and got the first points of the second half with a penalty.
The Tigers clawed their way back into the game with a try from Turner, who was in the right place to take advantage of a bomb dropped by Shaul.
They had chances to further close the gap too, but McShane couldn’t find Turner with the try line begging. The youngster thought he had scored soon after, but was judged to have stepped into touch.
Castleford were inevitably made to pay, as Griffin again assisted Faraimo in the corner to seal the win.
Those roles were reversed with three minutes to go, as Faraimo broke clear after Mike McMeeken’s error and passed outside to Griffin in support for Hull’s final try of a great afternoon.
WHAT WE’VE LEARNED
HULL UNBEATABLE AT HOME
The result was Hull’s sixth home win out of six this season, with the Black and Whites making the KCOM Stadium quite the fortress.
The characteristics we are so used to from Hull were in evidence yet again, with strong defence throughout keeping the usually expansive Castleford very quiet.
That was coupled with a clinical edge in attack. The left edge is usually where the tries have come this season but it was on the right where they were most successful, with the partnership of Griffin and Faraimo developing nicely.
GALE WILL BE A HUGE ABSENCE
The news that last season’s Man of Steel will be out for three months was a huge blow for Castleford this week, and Luke Gale’s absence was noticeable with the Tigers lacking bite in attack.
Jamie Ellis failed to get a hold of the game and Paul McShane didn’t have the influence he did against Wakefield last week, leaving Cas struggling for creativity with Ben Roberts also on the sidelines.
They were also without Greg Eden and Jake Webster, with Calum Turner drafted in for his debut as a result. While showing promise in attack, that left edge was successfully targeted and picked apart by Hull.
Man Of The Match – Jake Connor
The injury to Albert Kelly last week meant that Connor took on a key creative role in the halves, a task which only increased after Sneyd had to go off just a couple of minutes into the second half.
Great players flourish with that responsibility and Connor certainly did that, running the game in the second period as Hull saw off a potential fightback in style.
THE RESULT
Hull FC 36
Tries: Manu (2), Shaul, Faraimo (2), Griffin
Goals: Sneyd (2), Connor (4)
Drop Goals: n/a
Castleford Tigers 12
Tries: McShane, Turner
Goals: Ellis (2)
Drop Goals: n/a
SQUADS
Hull FC: Shaul; Faraimo, Griffin, Tuimavave, Talanoa; Connor, Sneyd; Taylor, Houghton, Bowden; Minichiello, Manu, Hadley.
Interchanges: Green, Matongo, Paea, Westerman.
Castleford: Trueman; Minikin, Foster, Wardle, Shenton; Ellis, McShane; Watts, Milner, Sene-Lefao; Holmes, McMeeken, Cook.
Interchanges: Moors, Millington, Springer, Turner.
Referee: Gareth Hewer
